The present invention relates to a lint trap and, more particularly, to a lint trap that does not allow saturated hot air exhausted from a dryer from releasing into a living space.
When drying clothes, lint develops and much of this lint is collected by a lint screen in the dryer itself. However, a significant amount of lint gets by this lint screen and enters the dryer exhaust duct. This lint can build up in various dryer exhausts, be it a simple household vent, or a high-rise stack into which many dryer exhausts can flow. Many high-rise buildings may regulate dryer exhaust and not allow it to penetrate the exterior wall and exhaust to the atmosphere. In addition, owners are not allowed to exhaust directly to the building exhaust stack to prevent released lint from jamming the building on roof exhaust fan.
Based from experience, building departments allow tenants to exhaust their dryers into a lint trap. Current lint traps, although they do trap lint from a dryer exhaust they allow hot saturated air to be released into the living space, ultimately causing or contributing to severe mold conditions that can have catastrophic health issues for tenants. Current commercially available lint traps are comprised of a plastic box with one 4-inch opening and two air vents. The opening connects to dryer exhaust with a 4-inch flexible hose. The container is half filled with water. The other opening is left open. When the dryer exhaust hits the water in the lint trap, lint is trapped in the box and saturated hot air is released into the living space creating fertile condition for promoting deadly mold.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional lint trap 100 having a 4-inch flex hose 102 that can connect to a dryer (not shown). Water 104 can be placed in the lint trap 100 to trap lint. The incoming air from the dryer can escape the lint trap 100 through air vents 106 disposed on a top portion of the lint trap 100.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved lint trap that can trap lint but prevent saturated hot exhaust air from entering living space and resulting in serious health issues.